This invention relates generally to the field of sectional doors comprised of multiple, laterally extensive, panel members, where opening and closing the door is accomplished by raising and lowering the panels on tracks, and more particularly to the field of such doors wherein the door assembly is provided with additional reinforcement members to better secure the door against high wind damage.
Sectional or panel-type doors that are raised vertically are well known for covering large openings in residences or commercial buildings, a typical situation being that of an opening in a garage of sufficient size for passage of one or two automobiles. The sections or panels are elongated in the lateral direction so as to cover the full width of the opening and are relatively short in the vertical dimension. This allows the door to be raised and lowered by providing a pair of track members, the track members extending vertically along the sides of the door opening and then transitioning to a horizontal disposition within the interior of the building. The short vertical height of the sections or panels allows each panel to transition from a vertical orientation to a horizontal one over a short curved section of the tracks. Most such doors are opened and closed with remote controlled, motorized openers.
Each section or panel is typically composed of a relatively thin and lightweight material, such as aluminum sheet metal, and is formed with turned in upper and lower horizontal edges. Bracing in the form of vertical stiles and horizontal rails is typically provided to increase the rigidity of the panel. Adjacent panels are connected with hinge members to allow movement out of the co-planar configuration. Roller members are attached to each side of some or all of the panels, the rollers seating within guide track members mounted in fixed relation to the building.
Because the panel doors must be lifted either manually or by a motorized opener, the overall weight of the door assembly is by necessity kept low to reduce the work needed to raise the door. This lightweight construction, however, is detrimental in high wind circumstances, particularly during tornadoes or hurricanes, where extremely high external forces may be applied against the door, both in the inward direction and, by generation of external low pressure conditions, in the outward direction. Typical panel door assemblies are often not able to handle such load or suction situations without incurring buckling damage or catastrophic failure. Newer building codes in hurricane-prone areas have raised the standards for the load and suction resistance of panel doors, both inwardly and outwardly, beyond that of many typical panel door constructions.
It is an object of this invention to provide a reinforcement system or assembly for panel or sectional garage doors whereby the doors are sufficiently reinforced to eliminate or severely reduce damage from high wind circumstances. It is a further object to provide such an assembly that can be incorporated during manufacture or provided as an add-on feature to existing panel doors. It is a further object to provide such an assembly that is easy to engage and disengage, and which does not interfere with the normal operation of the door when in the disengaged mode. It is a further object to provide such an assembly that does not greatly depart from the standard door design, such that the assembly is not obtrusive or interfering to normal operations in the vicinity of the door. These and other unnamed objects and advantages of the invention will be disclosed and described below.